Empress Tzu Tzu

2017 Wacky Dog Name Nominee

After the passing of their beloved Shih Tzu, Taj LeRoy and her family of Discovery Bay, California decided to bring a new puppy into the pack. Because Taj and her husband Steve loved the temperament and size of their last dog, they decided to look for another female Shih Tzu. After finding the exact puppy they were looking for, a search for a name began, and Taj was determined to find the perfect fit.

"I started researching historic, Chinese Empresses to match her heritage," said Taj. "I came across the history of the feminist Dowager Empress of China, Tzu Hsi and I thought it was a great fit, but I wanted to change it just a bit, and that's when we came up with Empress Tzu Tzu."

Empress Tzu Tzu has now grown into a playful and loving puppy who is incredibly smart. Empress Tzu Tzu has gone through extensive training and is a registered therapy dog that travels everywhere with her family. She’s also incredibly social and loves hanging out with Taj & Steve's son's Golden retriever, Lincoln, and even tries to play with Hamilton, Taj’s sister's pet pig!

The LeRoy’s have been longtime Nationwide pet insurance advocates and have had all their dogs insured since learning about the product.

"Purchasing pet insurance was one of the best decisions we made as pet owners," said Taj. "It really paid off when Empress Tzu Tzu went through serious medical issues. Knowing she was covered allowed us to focus on getting the best veterinary care possible without worrying about the financial aspects."